Vise.



Patented Nov. l2, I90l.

W. E. SNEDIKER.

VISE.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 1900.

2 sheets-sh et I.

("0 Medal.)

gZzie-sseoy Mm 'wwu No. 686,484. Patented'Nov. l2, 190i.

ve. E. SNEMKEB.

VISE.

(Application filedi Aug. 10; 1900.)

- (No Model.)

2 sheatsshm 2.

WITNESSES aw/3M INVENTOR WWCWTLEJMCZZC/I,

I al

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. SNEDIKER, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

VISE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,484, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed August 10, 1900. Serial ITO. 26,492. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be .it known that 1, WILLIAM E. SNEDIKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, county of :Hudson, and State of New J ersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vises, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the general improvement in the construction and operation of Vises, and more especially improvements in the vises shown and described in my Patents No. 188,688, dated March 20,1887, and Nos. 519,008 and 519,028, dated May 1, 1894.

In the Vises illustrated and described in my previous patents a reciprocating nut fitted upon the operating-screw of the vise is arranged to force the toothed clamping-block into engagement with the longitudinal rack on the inner side of the case of the vise. These Vises are also provided with different means for disengaging the clamping-block. All of these lockin g and disengaging devices for the clamping-block involve a certain amount of complication, due to the fact that the connection between the screw of the vise and the rack is had through an intermediate element, or clam ping-block, as it is termed, the clamping-block being combined with springs and inclined surfaces for alternatively moving-it into a clamping position and releasing it from the rack, which, although for ordinary purposes are sufliciently accurate in their action, were not constant in their operation and altogether reliable. Furthermore, in the employment of such duplex clamping and releasing mechanisms considerable material due to the number of parts was used, which resulted in an unnecessary employment of skilled time and labor and consequent addition of cost.

In accordance with my present invention I dispense entirely with the intermediate clamping-block and employthe screw-nut in conjunction with certain parts carried bodily with or forming part of the sliding bar to clamp or unite the screw with the rack, which latter is rigidly secured to the casing and which also allows without the intervention of any intermediate mechanism the freeing or unclamping of the screw-nut from the rack,

so as to permit the sliding bar and its screw to be moved in and outwithont hindrance or imparting any motion to the rear jaw or its casing.

My invention also extends to the general construction of the vise, wherein improved means are provided for preventing the rack from becoming clogged up with dirt or the like, thereby adding to the lifeof the vise and avoiding the necessity of constant attention for the purpose of keeping the rack clean.

Myinvention therefore resides in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, and further pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central sectional elevation of a vise embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken-approximately on the line a: as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation (broken between its ends to save space in illustration) of the front jaw and its sliding bar. Fig. 4 is a like view of the rear jaw and the vise-casing. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the screw-nut detached. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the screw and its head and collar; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the rear end of the vise-casing and a portion of the sliding bar, showing a-r'nodified form of locking means.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

In the drawings, 1 is the front or movable jaw of the vise, and 2 the back or fixed jaw. The rear jaw is integrally formed with the vise casing or housing 3, which is preferably rectangular in form, as shown in Fig. 2, and which entirely incloses its contained parts, it being formed box-like, having the top and bottom webs et 5 and side walls 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the lower web 5 being preferably imperforate or without any dust-admitting apertures, and from the lower front portion of the casing extends the usual front ledge 7. The front jaw is formed integrally with the sliding bar 8, which has the usual top or crown web 9 and depending sides 9 and front web 10, the latter being provided with an aperture 11, through which the stem 12 of the operating-screw 13 loosely passes, the exterior portion of the stem having an enlarged head 14 and shoulder 15, carrying the operating-handle 16 in the usual way. The stem also carries the usual collar 17, secured thereupon by a set-screw 18, so as to confine the flange of the head in place against the front web 10 of the sliding bar. The aperture in the front web of the sliding bar islarge enough to permita certain amount of tilting to the screw-stem in an upward and downward direction, as hereinafter described.

At 19 is the rack, the end 19 of which is solidly'secured by the interiorscrew 20 at the rear end upon the base 5 of the casing and at the front end by the exterior countersunk screw 21, passing through the ledge 7, the rack resting firmlyupon the solid lower web or base of the vise casing or housing. The rear of the base 5 is depressed to form a shoulder 5*, against which is abutted a lug 19, through which the screw 20 passes, the lug and shoulder taking the pulling strain which the rack is subjected to, thus relieving the screws 20 21 of the same, which merely hold the rack on the base 5.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the rack is located centrally in the core of the housing, so as to leave the space between its sides and the sides orwalls (3 of the casing clear for the pendent sides 9 of the sliding bar, which latter rests upon the solid lower web or base 5 of the vise-casing.

The rear end of the stem 12 of the operatingscrew is provided with a right-hand thread 13, and upon the threaded end of the stem is a screw-nut 22, interiorly threaded at 23, Fig. 5. This nut is provided on the exterior of its upper half with a stepped or cam surface, comprising the upper plane 24, lower plane 25, and intermediate inclined plane 26, and the lower half is provided with transverselyextending teeth 27, having their vertical faces 28 presented forwardly and their inclined faces 29 presented rearwardly, and the lower end of the screw-nut is cut away to form a rearwardly and upwardly inclined surface or cam 30.

Extending between the side walls 9 of the sliding bar and preferably over the rear end of the rack (although this location relative to the rack is not essential) is a pin or bar 31, preferably rounded, acting, in conjunction with the cam-surface 30 of the screw-nut, to lift the screw-nut so as to free its teeth of the rack 19, as hereinafter described.

For forcing the screw-nut and its shouldered teeth into contact with the likewiseconformed teeth of the rack I employ what I term an upper cam-surface, which may take either the form of a spring, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and .2, or a lug attached to or integrally formed with the crown-piece of the sliding bar, as shownin Fig. 7.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, (when the spring form is employed, which form I prefer,) it comprises the bar-spring '2, rigidly secured to the crown-piece 9 of the sliding bar by the screw 33, the head 33 of which extends above the top of the sliding bar, so as to prevent the latter from being entirely pulled out, the forward or front end of the spring-bar carrying a cam-surface formed by deflecting the bar downwardly and forwardly, as at 34:, and connecting this deflected portion with the lower plane or extension 35. The cam-surface thus constructed corresponds with the cam-surface formed upon the upper portion of the screwnut..

For the purpose of regulating the tension of the spring-bar, and consequently the depression given to the screw-nut for engaging the teeth of the rack, I employ a set-screw 36, passing through the crown-piece and hearing upon the nose or extension 35 of the spring-bar, and for regulating the tension of the bar, as well as adjusting the inclination of the cam-surface thereof, I employ the centrally-located set-screw 37.

Instead of employing the spring-bar form of cam I can produce substantially the same results by forming a depending lug 38 on the inner surface of the crown-piece 9 of the sliding bar, which is adapted to bear against the surfaces 24c 26 of the screw-nut, the rear shoulder 39 of which can be slightly inclined, if desired. When this form is employed, i11- stead of using the screw 33 33 a plug 33, let into a hole 33 in the crownsheet 9 and having a head 33, can be used.

In operating the vise the screw 13 is first turned to the left, say, about a quarter-turn, which drives the screw-nut inwardly, causing its lower cam-surface 30 to ride up on the bar or pin 31 simultaneously with the disengagement of the upper cam-surface of the screwnut from the cam-surface of the spring, (or the lug previously described,) the free play of the stem of the screw in its bearing in the front wall of the sliding bar permitting the screw-nut and the threaded end of the screw to be bodily elevated, the quarter-turn of the screw being sufficient to completely elevate the screw-nut and its teeth out of contact with the teeth of the rack, the nut having moved rearwardly a sufficient distance past the cam on the spring or the lug to allow of the clearance, the lower plane 25 of the screwnut cam bearing against the lower plane 35 of the spring-bar cam or the bottom surface on the lug 38, thereby binding the screw-nut between said planes and the bar or pin 31 and holding it in an elevated position, with the teeth of both the nut and rack out of contact with each other. In this position the sliding bar, with its connected front jaw, is capable of being moved inwardly and outwardly to adjust the work within the jaws, and when adjusted a further turn of the 0perating-handle and screw to the right will move the screwnut forwardly and cause its inclined surface or cam 26 to ride downwardly on the cam-surface 34: of the springbar or cause the corner 39 of the lug 38 to force the forward end of the nut and its teeth into contact with the teeth of the rack, the upper plane 24 of the screw-nut then passing into contact with the lower horizontal plane 35 of the spring bar or lug, thereby evenly engaging the teeth of the nut and rack. The position of the lower plane 35 being adjusted to produce the proper distance between the teeth of the rack and the upper longitudinal surface of the nut, so as to carry the teeth of the latter into the teeth of the rack, a quarter-turn approximately to the right of the operating-screw being sufficient to bring the teeth of the nut and rack into holding contact, with their vertical shoulders abutting.

It will be noted that there is no strain transversely or perpendicularly transmitted through the nut to the sliding bar or vise-casing during the clamping period of the nut, that the strain due to the clamping of the work in the vise is forwardly on the threads of the screw and nut on the teeth of the nut and rack, it being finally taken up by the ing and shoulder 5 19, and that the cam or looking surface and the freeing means are practically relieved of this strain.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a vise, the combination of the following instrumentalities: the sliding bar, a visecasing, an operating-screw rotatably carried by the sliding bar, a rack secured in said case, a reciprocating nut carried by said screw having a rack-surface adapted to engage the teeth on the rack, and means adjustable relative to the nut and carried by the sliding bar for freeing the nut from the rack when the former is rearwardly reciprocated and clamping the nut to the rack when the former is forwardly reciprocated, substantially as described.

2. In a vise, the combination with the opcrating-screw, the screw-nut carried by said operating-screw and having a toothed surface, a toothed rack, a cam for raising the teeth of the screw-nut'out of contact with the rack, and a vertically-adjustable and resilient superposed cam for depressing said screw-nut directly into engagement with the rack, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a vise, of a sliding bar, the operating-screw, the toothed screwnut, the rack, the cam-surface formed on the top of the nut, a coacting vertically-adjustable cam-surface on the sliding bar, and a cam-surface formed on the lower rear end of the nut and means for engaging said camsurface, substantially as described.

4. In a vise, the combination with the s1id ing bar, the threaded operating-screw, the screw-nut carried thereby, teeth formed on the screw-nut, the toothed rack, a cam-surface on the upper section of the screw-nut, and adjustable means extending from the sliding bar adapted to engage the superposed cam-surface of the nut, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a vise, of the sliding bar, the operatingscrew, the rack, and a screw-nut having teeth adapted to engage the rack, a multiplane surface formed on the top of the screw-nut, and an adjustable multiplane surface supported by the sliding bar adapted to engage the nut, substantially as described.

6. In a Vise, the combination with the sliding bar, the operating-screw, the rack, the reciprocating nut carried by the operatingscrew, the pin or bar extending between the side walls of the sliding bar, the upwardlyinclined cam-surface formed at the lower rear end of the nut, combined with adjustable means for depressing the nut, and looking it to the rack, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a vise, of the springbar, having the depressed extension, the upper main portion, and the upwardly and rearwardly inclined connecting portion, the operating-screw, a toothed nut carried thereby, the rack, and an inclined surface formed on top of the nut for engagement with the incline on the spring-bar, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the sliding bar, the rack, the operating-screw, and the reciprocating and toothed nut, of the spring-bar secured to the sliding bar at its rear end, and means for adjusting and depressing the forward and free end relative to the said nut, substantially as described.

9. In a vise, the combination with the sliding bar, of the spring-bar, having the defiected portion and forward extension, said bar being fixedly secured to the sliding bar at its rear end, and an adjusting-screw secured to the sliding bar and engaging the front extension of the spring-bar, combined with the sliding and toothed nut, the rack, and means for operating the nut, substantially as described.

10. In a vise, the sliding bar, the springbar fixedly secured to the sliding bar at its rear end, the spring-bar having the deflected portion and forward extension at its free end, means for limiting the upward movement of the free end,- further means for depressing the sliding bar intermediate of its ends, combined with the rack, the toothed screw-nut, and means for operating the nut, substantially as described.

11. The combination in a vise, of the rear jaw having a rectangular housing, a rack secured to the base web of said housing between its side walls, both the base and rack having interlocking shoulder 5 and lug 19 of July, 1900.

. W. E. SNEDIKER. Witnesses:

- O. H. WALTON,

GEO. L. SNEDIKER. 

